ibironkeeniola 
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched an $8-million ‘Water for Agriculture Activity’ project to help crop and livestock farmers in northeastern Nigeria tackle water scarcity.
USAID’s Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, announced the project on Wednesday during its launch at Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.
Three states in the region – Borno, Yobe and Adamawa – are to benefit from the aid to be extended to vulnerable communities in seven local government areas.
Haykin disclosed at the launching that the project would be executed by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States.
More than 50, 000 herders and 4, 000 smallholder farmers in the three states are expected to benefit from the aid, Deputy Country Representative of CRS, Dane Freudenberg, further disclosed.
The mission director, who said the project would run until July 2022, explained that the project would help to “expand water access for both agriculture and livestock, which will, in turn, increase income generation for smallholder farmers and help them recover from the economic destruction wrought by the insurgencies.”
Haykin added, “Water scarcity is a big challenge in the Northeast basin. The impact of climate change is driving decreasing and uncertain rainfall patterns.
“This scarcity, combined with limited irrigation infrastructure, inadequate waters, agriculture management and conflict around agricultural production have all constrained livelihoods.”
Freudenberg during his address noted that the aid would help to reduce the herders/farmers conflict by improving their livelihood opportunities through provision of increased water access points and infrastructure.
He added that new production technologies, processing and post-harvest management techniques would be introduced in the course of the project.
In his address, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammed Nanono, restated his administration’s commitment growing the agricultural value chain in order to the grow the Nigeria’s economy.
Nanono who was represented by his Special Adviser, Prof. Murtala Sagagi, added that the ministry was currently reviewing the country’s agricultural policies and plans in a move aimed at improving the economy.
Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, during his speech praised USAID for the aid, adding that his administration had passed a legislation that would facilitate the establishment of humanitarian coordinating units that would streamline only interventions from donor partners, international, local NGOs.
Zulum, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur said that the intervention would help to solve the problem of duplication of work, create impacts on lives, and reduce wastage of resources.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA